I just got my ONA Live today, and have listened to it twice all the way through.

Now, seriously, does anyone really believe It Ain't Over is in the same world as Small Club?

It Ain't Over is quite good... but it really doesn't give you the goosebumps you get on Small Club. Small Club's solos come together in this manner that makes you start tingling all over (see Just My Imagination); It Ain't Over is comprable to a very good Paisley Park performance by the '95-era NPG--it's quite good. (For instance, if it had the same sound quality, The Park Vol. II would be about equal to It Ain't Over.) But please, don't tell me anybody thinks this is Small Club!?!

Now that I got that off my chest, I will go back to enjoying the very good It Ain't Over CD.

BanishedBrian said:

Well is it quite good or very good? Make your damn mind up. I would just like the opportunity to make the call for myself but alas, no box set as yet.

Rave and Imagination are the only things that make Small Club "all that" anyways...the rest is nothing to write home about exactly

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[This message was edited Sun Dec 8 12:24:08 PST 2002 by rdhull]

Small Club is unique. In all the years Prince has done aftershows I can't think of one that would come even close to it.

sawatdiikhrap said:

Depends on the song. Peach is very good... but not brilliant like JMI on Small Club. There are simply no musical moments on it quite in that category.

Other moments... like Musiq's performance, are certainly not anything special.

Most of the disc falls somewhere in between.

Bottom line is that it's getting overhyped a bit.

rdhull said:

Are you smoking any nice weekend crack RD???
Its the only reason you'd come out with something so silly...

Small Club is classic. Because it has got a deep spirit underneath...which you can feel all small club around..and it has a guitar solo which u just cannot imagine.

It Ain't over is very good...but hasn't got a sense of urgency..it is just a party..with very good music indeed.

Nighttown 2002 would have come closer to Small Club I guess cause prince wasnt partying..but playing something out indeed. Why he just didnt put Nighttown 2002 in this box?

Now stop comparing and imagining things and njoy. Prince gave us something very special this time...it is almost as good as Princes bootlegs...now thats a compliment.

101 said:

Well said.

101 said:

You make a damn good point about there being a "deep spirit underneath" of small club. I think something magical happened that night between the musicians that is extremely rare. They were all feeding off each other and at the top of their games at the same time.

However, I think it is the bootlegs, in general, that are what is over hyped. There is a certain psychology that is at work here due to their underground coolness and the fact that they don't have nearly the pressure on them to perform as do the official releases. If you don't connect to a particular bootleg, so what, this isn't something Prince put out anyway, and besides, there will be another several dozen released in the coming months anyway and perhaps there will be something better.

I think comments such as, "it is almost as good as Prince's bootlegs" are quite telling, as if all 1000 plus bootlegs out there are works of art. At least 90% of them are complete and utter garbage in both sound quality and in content. The kind of stuff I would be embarrassed to have out there if I were Prince.

Comparing "It Ain't Over" to "Small Club" to me is a push. "Small Club" is the big winner when it comes to capturing the entire magical spirit of a phenomenal concert. But "It Ain't Over" is the clear winner when looking at the situation as an editor would. There are simply moments on "Small Club" that could be cut and no one who has yet to hear this recording would miss. Take for example the opening 10 minutes on each disc. If he were to release “Small Club” music critics would rightfully at least give him a little heat here for self-indulgence.

But that's not always a bad thing because there are times I like to just chill and let the music breath and slowly build back up to magnificence. “It Ain’t Over” is almost all in-your-face magnificence and there is very little time to rest. And that's why I'll be grabbing for these two releases with an equal amount of eagerness. They’re very different, yet very much the same.

Hopefully in the future, though, Prince will be releasing entire concerts where that certain indescribable supernatural spirit is captured. One thing at a time. This is only one release. It cannot be all things to all people.

BanishedBrian said:

I agree with you there. "Small Club" is a masterpiece, while "It Ain't Over" is merely great.

rdhull said:[quote]Rave and Imagination are the only things that make Small Club "all that" anyways...the rest is nothing to write home about exactly

I beg to differ. Does that heart-stopping version of "Still Would Stand all Time" leave you cold? Doesn't "People Without" sound like the sound of genius visiting your living room (he was making that one up as he went along, apparently)? Play it again RD.

When's the last time any of you have pulled out Small Club anmd listened to it--dont lie either.

nas3110 said:[quote]

rdhull said:

people without, yes.

still would stand all time, no. if it had the same lyrics as the album version, maybe, but this version is just silly.

nas3110 said:[quote]

rdhull said:

I guess I wil have to--haven't listend to it all the way through in eons..but that Kansas City, I'll Take You There, People Without dont do it for me--granted I only had Small Club for 3 years, and the spirit is vintage Prince (which is what we are actualy getting at), I just dont feel the urge usually. Rave and JMI save it for me. I forgot Still is on there etc.

rdhull said:

I totally agree with that. IMO I think that Nighttown is one of the best aftershows I've heard. The first jam session is beyond words!

EverlastingNow said:

I keep reading about this Nighttown performance in Europe..Nighttown Nightown Nighttown..whjt went down at Nightown? How can I be down with Nightown? (hint hint)

101 said:

I´ve been 2 the 'Nighttown' (Rotterdam, 03-11-2002) aftershow and I think it´s a better performance than the 'Small Club' performance!
One thing I can´t enjoy, is the fact that I still do not have my ONA live set!!!
[This message was edited Sun Dec 8 15:10:01 PST 2002 by VinoDaMusica]

rdhull said:

It's one of those ultra-cool underground happenings that if released officially would instantly seem a whole lot less cool and happening.

rdhull said:

Turn your AOL IM on already!!!

I'm suprised noone mentioned Dance Music Sex Romance, the perfomance of that on Small Club is a blast! "I'm gonna take ya to Hawaii..."

I also really enjoy the Instrumental Jam when I'm driving around. Disc 2 of SC drags out a bit too much, but hey, two discs are better than one! lol.

Also the booming voice of Bonnie Boyer is a real treat. She shuts it down on a few tracks.


There's nothing on It Ain't Over that comes close to JMI. But I can see comparisons of it to Small Club simply because of its very loose, fun, and freeflowing nature. There's some long enjoyable jams on both discs that arent contrived. The concert is over, peoples expectations have been quenched, the aftershow is where he lets loose and just rolls with it.

Tom said:

Yuck! That aint my DMSR






"kind of" cool..but still



Understatement




She shuts it down alright--my ear drums




Nothing ever will...but I feel when I finally get mine that It Aint Over is gonna be put in myy players a lot...Small Club is just passe

EverlastingNow said:

its on, its on

I was late on the Small Club bandwagen, ony got it a few months ago. I can't see how you could say its passe or long on the 2nd disc. It seems to be to be a perfect show. Without relying on blasting out hit after hit it fills you with awe at how one band can perform when enjoying themselves and playing what they want rather than what is expected by the audience.
For me, its perfection. If the 3rd disc of ONA gets close, I'll be delighted beyond measure

dewmass said:

I agree it sounds like a band having great fun and inspiration..Im just saying Im not a fan of most of the material on it. Plus everyone has had this one for ages and it's from the worshipped Loesexy band (even though Eric Leeds took the night off ha!)..Imagination and Rave are the big sellers of this set point blank. It is crystal clean also--these are factors why it gets heralded so much..bcause of the sound quality. Hell, Emporium (is that an aftershow) is more interesting than this one at times..in participation as well as presentation of the music. Im not saying Small Club isn't great for all that it is..but THE greatest aftershow? If so it's because of the material was not all made up of past hits..here you have a cover, some new songs, and reworked songs. I just dont like ALL of them. Takes more than that to please me.

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[This message was edited Sun Dec 8 17:10:07 PST 2002 by rdhull]

Oh, Imagination to me is just as jammin if not more at Le Zenith New Morning club performance. Some call it Private Show. Now thats some shit right there. Red House, Mutiny, Imagination etc...effa Small Club. I also called it passe because people have this knee jerk reaction of SC being the epitome of an aftershow on record...I mean damn. Break outta the box I say. These so called sacred cows are mostly bullshit to me..

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[This message was edited Sun Dec 8 17:08:31 PST 2002 by rdhull]

I wish I could hear Small Club. It sounds like it was an amazing trip.

I love all of Bonnie's input too. She really lays down the law on that night. She makes those covers her own.

Rdhull,

Man, you are totally on point about Small Club. I was so disappointed when I listened to it. It was boring and meandering. It's cool that he can make up songs on the spot, but that's what he spends most of that show doing...I woulda left the show.

The only thing I liked about it was the performance of Rave. I woulda liked JMI, but the sound quality was so low I could hardly hear it at all.

Brendan said:

Personally, I love the entire set. I especially love the opening 10 minutes on disc 1. It's a heavenly jam and the Small Club would be worse for it's editing.

Please nobody bark at me, and I do think the JMI guitar solo is awesome, but I think his playing is less skillful than a lot of solos since. His guitar work is always improving.

sabaisabai said: